The human gene for a protein hormone has been isolated. Scientists want to introduce this gene into a bacterial host, modifying the bacteria so that it can be used to produce this hormone. After successfully introducing the gene on a plid, the bacteria produced the protein hormone, but the protein was defective, longer than normal, with intervening stretches of amino acids not found in the native protein. Which solution would be most likely to resolve this problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The defective protein suggests that the bacterial host is not properly processing the mRNA from the human gene. One solution would be to introduce a cDNA copy of the gene, which lacks introns and may be more easily processed by the bacterial host. This would increase the likelihood of producing a properly functioning protein hormone. Treating the defective protein with enzymes or introducing human ribosomes or mRNAs would not address the underlying issue with mRNA processing in the bacterial host.

The Human Gene for a Protein Hormone Has Been Isolated